Foreign Language Program Review

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Foreign Language Program Review

• Spring 2007

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Overview

• Mission Statement
• Goals and Objectives
• Program History
• Curriculum
• Enrollment, Productivity, WSCH 
• Program Strengths and Areas for Growth
• Future Recommendations

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Mission Statement

• The Foreign Language departments mission is to
  help as many language learners as possible
  achieve college success and reach their personal
  goals through mastery of foreign language skills,
  critical thinking strategies, and familiarization
  with the cultural patterns of the cultures
  expressed in their languages of study. The
  program has a strong commitment to student
  learning.

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Program Goals

• ACTFL National Standards for foreign language
  learning
• Approach language learning through the following
  areas Communication, Cultures, Comparisons,
  Connections, and Community
• Develop four skills listening, speaking,
  reading, writing

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Current Objectives

• Implement smartboard technology in classrooms
• Offer hybrid/online sections
• creatively utilize lab space with compressed
  schedule
• increase student access to instruction
• Ongoing curriculum revision SLO assessment
• Maintain communicative-based pedagogy
• Ensure academic rigor in hybrid/online format

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Program History

• Sputnik (1957) ?1958 National Defense Education
  Act (NDEA)
• Science, Mathematics, and Foreign Languages
• 1960s Audio-lingual methodology
• Language lab 30-60 stations 5 reel-to-reel
• 1970s ARC search for new methodologies
• Language lab cassettes

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Program History

• 1980s Communicative approach early adopters
• 1990s Computers and video added to lab
• 2000s Internet-based lab options
• Renovated Learning Resource Center
• 35-workstation Foreign Language computer lab
• Individualized instruction opportunities
• Hybrid/online delivery modalities

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Curriculum

• SPAN 401 402 added hybrid delivery
• FREN 401, 402, 411, 412, and ITAL 401 in
  curriculum queue
• Significant challenges
• Absence of full-time faculty in German, Italian,
  and Japanese new hire in progress
• Reinstating Russian Fall 2007
• Considering Mandarin for the future
• Courses not yet revised are priority for Flex
  Fall 2007

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Enrollment

• Reduction in CSU foreign language requirements,
  mostly affecting SPAN 411 ?
• SPAN 351 doubled through outreach centers
• FREN 351 ? FREN 401 411 ?
• 3 sections GERM 401 ? 100 in 06-07
• 3 sections ITAL 401 ? 150 in 06-07
• 2 sections RUSS 401 scheduled for Fall 07

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Foreign Language WSCH

• Decreased WSCH in Spanish due to new CSU
  requirements
• Reallocated FTE from Spanish to allow for growth
  in other languages

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Program Strengths

• Diverse faculty with vast cultural experiences
• Variety of languages offered
• French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish,
  (Russian)
• Curriculum for GE/transfer personal enrichment
• Summer study abroad in Spanish
• Hybrid/online mode of delivery

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Areas for Growth

• Foreign Language Lab
• Hire Instructional Assistant
• Expand individualized/modular instruction
• Full-time faculty hire
• Strengthen pool of faculty adjunct
• Explore curriculum for other languages
• Expand online/hybrid delivery
• Student incentives for advanced language study
• Community outreach

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Future Recommendations

• Hire faculty and staff to support the needs of
  our program
• Expand language offerings while maintaining or
  improving quality
• Explore new instructional delivery modes
• Seek professional development for using
  technology
• Ongoing curriculum revision SLO assessment

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FIN